NFL playoff picture: Projected AFC, NFC bracket wild card matchups before Week 18 Sunday Jacob Camenker, USA TODAYJanuary 4, 2026 at 3:06 AM 0 The 2025 NFL regular season is entering its final act. It will wrap up on Sunday, Jan. 4, as the final 14 games of the NFL's 272game schedule will be played. Once the final whistle blows on the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens "Sunday Night Football" game, the NFL's initial playoff bracket will also be in its final form. Entering play Sunday, there is still a lot to be decided.
- - NFL playoff picture: Projected AFC, NFC bracket wild card matchups before Week 18 Sunday
Jacob Camenker, USA TODAYJanuary 4, 2026 at 3:06 AM
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The 2025 NFL regular season is entering its final act. It will wrap up on Sunday, Jan. 4, as the final 14 games of the NFL's 272-game schedule will be played.
Once the final whistle blows on the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens "Sunday Night Football" game, the NFL's initial playoff bracket will also be in its final form.
Entering play Sunday, there is still a lot to be decided. While 12 of the league's 14 playoff berths have been clinched, three division titles have yet to be determined. Additionally, seeding across both conferences remains wide open, and the AFC's No. 1 seed won't be fully determined until the Denver Broncos' game against the Los Angeles Chargers concludes.
Here's how the NFL's playoff picture and bracket are shaping up as Week 18 unfolds.
makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/HO4SiwP class=caas-img data-headline="Best images of the 2025 NFL season" data-caption="
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
">Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
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1 / 4Best images of the 2025 NFL season
Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.
NFL playoff picture
*=team has clinched a playoff berth.
AFC playoff picture -
Denver Broncos (13-3, AFC West winners)*
New England Patriots (13-3, AFC East winners)*
Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4, AFC South leaders)*
Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7, AFC North leaders)
Houston Texans (11-5, wild card No. 1)*
Los Angeles Chargers (11-5, wild card No. 2)*
Buffalo Bills (11-5, wild card No. 3)*
In the hunt: Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
Just one AFC playoff berth is up for grabs in Week 18. The Steelers and Ravens will play for the AFC North title on "Sunday Night Football."
No other seeds in the conference have yet been clinched, so the shape of the remainder of the bracket could change early and often on Sunday.
NFC playoff picture -
Seattle Seahawks (14-3, NFC West winners)*
Chicago Bears (11-5, NFC North winners)*
Philadelphia Eagles (11-5, NFC East winners)*
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9, NFC South leaders)
San Francisco 49ers (12-5, wild card No. 1)*
Los Angeles Rams (11-5, wild card No. 2)*
Green Bay Packers (9-6-1, wild card No. 3)*
In the hunt: Carolina Panthers (8-9)
The NFC South winner will be decided by Sunday's Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints game. A Falcons win would send the Panthers to the playoffs, while a Saints win would allow the Buccaneers to get into the postseason. That is the last outstanding playoff berth in the NFC.
Projected NFL wild-card matchups, full bracket
Here's how the NFL's projected wild-card matchups are shaping up as Week 18 unfolds.
AFC wild-card matchupsNo. 1 Denver Broncos: BYE
The Broncos need only beat the Chargers in Week 18 to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Los Angeles is planning to sit some of its starters, including top quarterback Justin Herbert, with the team locked into a wild-card berth, which should benefit Denver as it looks to earn a coveted first-round bye.
No. 2 New England Patriots vs. No. 7 Buffalo Bills
The Patriots have won the AFC East for the first time since 2019, Tom Brady's last season with the team. That puts them in the running for the conference's No. 1 seed, but they would need help from the Broncos to earn that honor.
More likely, the Patriots will be the AFC's No. 2 seed. Such a result would position them to play the conference's bottom-ranked wild-card team. That is currently the Bills, whom the Patriots have already played twice in 2025.
New England won the first meeting between the divisional rivals 23-20 in Week 5 before Buffalo bounced back with a come-from-behind 35-31 victory in Week 15. The latter contest snapped a 10-game Patriots winning streak, so Mike Vrabel's squad will be out to exact revenge should they meet in the postseason.
No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars vs. No. 6 Los Angeles Chargers
The Jaguars have an outside chance to catch the Broncos for the No. 1 overall seed, but they will likely be more focused on staving off the Texans for the AFC South title. So long as Jacksonville can beat the 3-13 Tennessee Titans, Liam Coen's team will have at least one home playoff game.
Meanwhile, the Chargers are set to rest their starters in Week 18, so it's unclear whether they will be able to hold onto the No. 6 seed. If they do, they will get a chance to avenge their 31-30 loss to the Jaguars in the 2022 wild-card round. Los Angeles held a 27-0 lead in that game before Jacksonville came storming back to earn the narrow victory.
No. 4 Pittsburgh Steelers vs. No. 5 Houston Texans
The Texans have a wide variety of potential outcomes in Week 18. They could be seeded as high as No. 3 overall in the conference, or slip all the way to No. 7, pending the results of the Week 18 games. Houston has a lot for which to play, as the Texans can catch the Jaguars in the AFC South race, so they will likely keep their starters in for Week 18.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are playing a winner-take-all game against the Ravens. The winner will take home the AFC North title and the conference's No. 4 overall seed. The loser will go home. Pittsburgh would make it into the postseason field in the event of a tie, but it appears to be a true 50-50 proposition for Mike Tomlin's squad to make the playoffs.
NFC wild-card matchupsNo. 1 Seattle Seahawks: BYE
The Seahawks earned a victory over the 49ers in Week 18 to win the NFC West championship and earn the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC playoffs. It marks Seattle's first division title since 2020 and its 10th overall.
No. 2 Chicago Bears vs. No. 7 Green Bay Packers
The Bears will be either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the NFC playoff race. Chicago coach Ben Johnson implied his team would be aggressive in pursuing the former seed, as it would give the team a chance to potentially host two playoff games.
If Chicago beats Detroit in Week 18, it would set up a date against its rival, Green Bay. The Bears and Packers split their 2025 season series, as Green Bay earned a 28-21 victory after Caleb Williams threw an interception in the end zone while trying to mount a game-tying drive in the game's final minute. A couple of weeks later, Williams threw a 46-yard touchdown to DJ Moore in overtime to cap off a big-time fourth-quarter comeback that positioned the Bears to win the NFC North for the first time since 2018.
The Packers and Bears last met in the postseason in 2011. Aaron Rodgers led the No. 6-seeded Packers to a 21-14 victory en route to Green Bay winning its fourth Super Bowl title.
No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles vs. No. 6 Los Angeles Rams
Like the Bears, the Eagles will be either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the NFC playoffs. They are planning to sit their starters in Week 18 against the Commanders and need Chicago to lose to move up in the playoff standings, so they are more likely to be the No. 3 seed.
That puts the Eagles on a collision course with either the Rams or the 49ers. If Los Angeles wins in Week 18, Philadelphia would play San Francisco. A loss or a tie would position the Eagles to play the Rams, who they beat 33-26 in Week 3 thanks to Jordan Davis blocking a game-winning field goal.
The Eagles also beat the Rams twice during the 2024 NFL season and playoffs, including a 28-22 win amid snowy conditions at Lincoln Financial Field. Los Angeles nearly executed a 13-point comeback over the final five minutes before the Eagles came up with one final, game-winning stop.
No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. No. 5 San Francisco 49ers
The NFC South title remains up for grabs. The Buccaneers currently have the edge in the divisional race, but a Falcons win over the Saints in Week 18 would allow the Panthers to sneak into the playoffs as the NFC's No. 4 seed.
The No. 5 seed also has a binary outcome. It will be either the 49ers or the Rams, depending on Los Angeles' Week 18 result against the Cardinals. Regardless of the matchup, the No. 5 seed figures to be favored, as the NFC South winner will have a losing 8-9 record.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL playoff picture: Projected AFC, NFC brackets before final Sunday
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Published: January 04, 2026 at 12:27PM on Source: RED MAG
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